The present invention relates to a device for transferring goods from one conveyor of random nature to another, comprising a frame, endless transporting means supported therein and at least one carrier connected thereto.
Such device are applied in transport systems wherein vertical and/or horizontal distances between different conveyors have to be bridged, or simply in order to save space.
A first device known from the prior art comprises flexible mats which are connected to four endless transporting members such that these mats remain horizontal while supporting goods. Depending on the infeed and outfeed direction of the goods, the active part of the transporting members is arranged in a C-, L- or Z-shaped configuration in the frame. The goods are taken over from the conveyor close to the underside of the device connecting onto a conveyor. Close to the top side the goods are transferred from the flexible mats onto another conveyor. A drawback of such a device is that at the transition from conveyor to mat and vice versa there lies an opening through which small products can fall between conveyor and device. In addition, this device is of relatively complex structure.
Another device known from the prior art has obviated the drawback of transitions in that it lifts the goods from the conveyor. This is done with carriers formed by fingers arranged parallel to and at a distance from each other which are fed through between the rollers respectively ropes of a roller respectively rope conveyor. Such a device can only be applied in combination with a roller and/or rope conveyor. In addition, the goods can only be transferred in vertical direction because the carriers are fixedly arranged on the endless transporting means.
An object of the present invention is to provide a device for transferring goods from one conveyor of random nature to another, wherein the above stated drawbacks are obviated. Another object of the present invention is to provide such a device wherein the goods can be supplied and discharged from different directions. A final objective of the present invention is to provide such a device which is relatively simple to construct and takes up little space.